Greek Feta Cheese [ ? ]Subscribe To This Site FETA CHEESE Feta cheese is the most famous of Greek cheeses and the most popular. It has been and still is an important part of the Greek diet. It is used in all types of meals, used as a stuffing, fried as in Saganaki, as a table cheese - drizzled with olive oil and oregano and served as a meze with drinks. It is famously known for being crumbled over a Greek salad, and as a filling for cheese pies - Tiropita, and many other pies. It is used for sweets, sweet pastries, as well as cheesecake. It is the most versatile of all cheeses. Over the last couple of decades, the rest of the world has fallen under the spell of feta, and understood what a fantastic cheese this really is. You will now find almost every cafe will be using feta in one of their meals. It is ideal for light, healthy dishes has a good strong taste, and contrasts well with colourful salads and other foods. Feta is made either completely from sheep's milk or can be mixed with up to 30% of goat's milk.

It is a soft white cheese, with a salty, tangy taste and a unique, crumbly texture. It can range from mild to sharp. The milk fat content of feta ranges from 45 to 60 percent. In Greece, 12kg of feta is consumed per person per year! You can see the Greeks love their feta cheese! With much of the Greek landscape being mountainous and hilly, it was not suited for cows. Sheep and goats fared better in this countryside, were ideal as they could clamber over the mountains, produced milk as well as their meat. Sheep would travel over good distances every day to feed, and on the way would munch on a variety of plants, mountain grasses and herbs. In these regions, harmful substances such as pesticides and fertilisers were very scarce, so the milk these sheep produced was organically superior. With the sheep always on the move to get their food, they would never get fat and so consequently the milk produced was low in fat. It is these factors which give the feta cheese the characteristically pure, white colour. Feta which is not produced in Greece and in these conditions need to be chemically treated to obtain that sparkling white colour.

Greece has been running a long legal battle in the European Courts to recognise that feta is a Greek cheese. This is due to other countries such as Denmark and France producing white cheeses, mostly from cow's milk and calling it Feta. In 2005, Greece won the battle and Feta is now a PDO which stands for Protected Designation of Origin. This means that in the European Union, no other country can call their cheese "Feta". It now comes under strict production guidelines, and can only be called feta if it is made exclusively with sheep's milk, with the addition of up to 30% goat's milk from and in Greece using traditional methods. Other countries within Europe either have to have their own name for this cheese or can call it "Greek Style Cheese". Of course, countries bordering Greece, were probably making this cheese before governments started putting up borders. This will help to maintain the standard and quality of Greek Feta Cheese. The history of the Greek word "feta" comes from the Italian word "fetta", which means "slice".

Although feta has been made since ancient Greece, it may have been the cheese Homer described with the Cycops, it became known as feta in the 17th century, whilst under Venetian influence. The slice refers either to the method of making it when they slice the curd or to the way it is served, in thick slices. Feta can dry out easily and sour quickly, so always keep in the refrigerator and store it in brine. Put it in a deep container and immerse it in water. Pour a good quantity of salt over the feta and ensure the feta is submerged in the liquid and it will keep for longer. Rinse the brine off the feta before using. If the feta you have bought is too salty, you can soak it in milk to dilute the salt. This will not likely be necessary with imported varieties, however I have had local made feta in Crete which could have done with this, it was so salty I couldn't taste the cheese! You can freeze feta, although it won't have quite the same taste and texture once defrosted. Wrap in airtight plastic wrapping and freeze. Leave in the fridge, in its wrapping, whilst defrosting.

Once defrosted, it is better suited to being crumbled over a salad or used in cooking, rather than eaten as a table food. Calories in Feta Cheese 1 oz of feta cheese contains 75 calories 6 grams fat (4.2 grams saturated fat) How to Make Feta Cheese 4kg of milk will make 1kg feta. Using pasteurised sheep's and goat's milk, the milk is heated and then left to cool. A culture is added to the milk and left to form curds. The curd is cut into cubes and left to drain all the liquid whey. The curd is then transferred to moulds and pressed to drain any excess whey, making it firmer and more concentrated. The cheese is cut into smaller pieces and is salted by immersing it in a brine. It is left to mature for at least 2 months. It is then sent to shops and markets in the brine solution, often in barrels or large tin boxes. Visit some more of our popular pages! The Greek cheese CONTACT The Greek Cheese The history of Cheese is as old as human history.

From the very first moment men occupied with agriculture and animal breeding, they had to search for methods conserving their milk. So, they started transforming it into butter, yoghurt and cheese. The first evidence of cheese consumption dates back in 8,000 BC. Later on, in Ancient Athens cheese was in trade in the market of the town and there are several scripts with cheese making recipes. Ancients Greeks were keen on eating cheese with honey and fresh fruits. They used to eat very well ripened and salted cheese which was used in several cooking versions or even sweets. Ancient Romans were great cheese makers and they used to consume big quantities of cheese as well. They had cheese for lunch with fruits and wine. They had developed cheese making so much that they were controlling its flavor by feeding the animals with herbs like Oregon, thyme etc. Romans used also to add spices in the cheese or conserve it in oil or wine. Greeks have greatly affected by their neighbors as far cheese making is concerned. In modern years they visited Italy in order to learn new methods of its production but I should also admit the Greece has its own tradition in cheese production as well, which is rich especially in mountainous areas and peculiar in the islands.

According to scripts dating back to the 15th century, Cretans were excellent cheese makers while other scripts confess that cheese was the daily meal of poor people during Byzantium years. Some years later, when Turks conquered Greece, nomadic populations could travel to the mountainous areas where without being disturbed by the conqueror, exchanging their experience and techniques in cheese making and finally creating the foundation for the Greek Cheese. Several types of cheese are produced exclusively in designated areas of Greece and thus have been standardized as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products. The conditions that should be fulfilled for a PDO cheese concern the area within which the animals are fed, the animals' kind, the area where the cheese is produced, the prohibition of chemical ingredients in the cheese, , the prohibition of antibiotics in the milk and the traditional methods of the production procedure. Greece has in total 20 PDO cheese types, certified by the European Union while some further cheese types are under investigation in order to be listed as PDOs too. Greek cheeses Greece is a country rich in cheese production as agriculture and animal breeding have been being a very important part of its habitants' daily life since ancestry.

This has lead to their obtaining a great experience in cheese making as well as to continuously developing the cheese recipes, while preserving the traditional ones. Each greek area has its own unique recipes as the different climate conditions impact the cheese production through the breeding of the animals that produce the milk for the cheese making. To begin with, I have to introduce you to the national cheese of Greece, Feta. It is an internationally famous cheese exported in several countries all over the world but I think that its taste is unique if you eat Feta in any greek place! Nowhere else would you taste it in a fresh Mediterranean salad dressed with plain olive oil and accompanied by the greek traditionally prepared bread. Moreover, Greek have a unique know-how in cheese pie making which are a "must eat" when visiting Greece. Feta cheese is a PDO product and there are specific areas in Greece where a cheese type called Feta may be produced, under designated conditions. So, Feta cheese you may taste from local producers in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Greece, Epirus, Peloponnese and Lesvos island.

According to its standards, it must be made of sheep or sheep-goat milk and the animals producing this milk should be bred within the areas mentioned above. The reason is that the vegetation of these areas includes some unique species which affect the flavor of the animals' milk and of course the flavor of the cheese. At the same time, the traditional methods used for Feta making are the same as they used to be in the past and the cheese makers have become experienced and really skillful in that field which rends them unique. The milk for the Feta cheese used to be unpasteurized in the past but nowadays its producers use pasteurized milk. It is heated in order to have it coagulated and natural or artificial rennet is added in it. Sometimes, sheep yoghurt can be used us a rennet. The curd is then placed in molds in order to drain it and afterwards it is divided into slices, salted and left in low temperature chambers. It is finally placed in barrels with salty water and it can be consumed two months later. Feta cheese should be served in low temperature (15-20 ΒΊC) so as to preserve its smells which derive from the greek mountains.

It has a strong flavor, usually sour and salty but some Fetas are less salty. Greeks have invented several recipes with Feta cheese taking advantage of the unique taste of it. It can be used even in a sandwich with fresh tomato, Oregon and olive oil. I like baking it in a clay plate where I put a piece of Feta covered by a few tomato slices and green pepper pieces as well as some olive oil. It is also amazing for breakfast combined with fresh bread and a cup of greek coffee or as a starter before a meal. It can also be used a dip (cheese salad) if blended with spicy peppers and olive oil. The ways one can eat Feta are innumerous and I am still exploring them! Macedonia cheeses In the area of Macedonia we can find "kefalograviera" which is made of sheep milk (sometimes mixed with some goat milk). It is a white, hard and salty cheese with holes inside it. Kefalograviera is soft when it is fresh but it gets harder as time goes by. It is pressed several times after having been put in its block forms resulting in its being really massive.

It is spicy and salty and it is usually served with ouzo ore wine. It is ideal for frying in hot olive oil and then served with some drops of fresh lemon juice. The next cheese type produced locally in Macedonia is called "Bandzos". It is a hard, white cheese preserved into salty water. It is made of sheep or sheep-goat milk based on the traditional recipe. The cheese makers have to hit the mixture in order to have a small quantity of the butter included in it removed. The best way of serving this kind of cheese is after having fried it. It will then get softer with great flavors. Bandzos has been listed as a PDO product since 1996. Telemes has been being produced in Macedonia since early 19th century, according to the traditional production methods. It is white and conserved in salted water. Telemes is made of sheep/ goat/ cow milk or a mixture of all the three and it is stored only in tinplate vessels. It is a compact, soft or semi-hard cheese, slightly sour and salted. It can accompany oily Mediterranean dishes, fruits or it can be used for a cheese pie.

Mizithra can also be found in that area as in most mountainous greek areas. It derives from the whey of the production of other cheeses and it is a very popular greek cheese type that almost everyone is fond of. The milk may have been taken of sheep, goats or cows and it can be enriched with extra fresh milk. It has high level humidity (70%) and low fat content (50%). It has a sweet milky flavor and it is suitable for people on a diet. Sometimes it is slightly salted and this makes it ideal for pasta while fresh mizithra cheeses are served as desserts accompanied by honey, nuts or marmalade. Macedonians produce, in my opinion, one of the best cheeses I have ever tasted in Greece. It is called Anevato and it is soft and granular. As it is creamy and unshaped, it can be eaten using a spoon. Anevato is made of sheep or goat milk (or a mixture of these two) providing the animals are fed within a specific area. It can be produced only in Grevena county and in Voios area, Kozani county.

I was so impressed by this cheese type that I wanted to learn as much as possible for the procedure of its production. So, that's what I have learnt by its producers: It consists of 69% humidity and 3.5% salt. In the beginning, the milk is placed in a room where the temperature is around 20 Β°C until it gets acid and then it is put in cooling chambers with low temperature for 24 hours. Then the temperature must be higher and the rennet is added to the milk. The curd is then divided into pieces and left in the caldron for half a day and after that it is strained and salt is added. It needs two months to get ripened. It is acidulous, fresh and cool in flavor and slightly salted. I enjoy a milky smell when tasting it. It has been a PDO cheese since 1966 but it has been being produced for a lot of years. Let me now introduce you to Victoria. It is not a woman but a cheese type produced within Thessaloniki County, made exclusively of cow milk and only from cows that belong to Hostein & Brawn Swits race which have to be fed only within that specific area.

Victoria has a cylinder shape with a wax-coating. It is compact, yellow and has a mild taste. As it has a low fat content, it is suitable for people who are on a diet. It can be used for sandwiches, toasts, salads, pizzas etc. Unfortunately it is produced in a very small quantity so it is quite difficult to find it available for sale. Thessaly cheeses Directing to the south, Thessaly is also full of cheese makers with traditional recipes and unique flavors. I have tasted Touloumotiri which is a white and soft cheese, stored in bags made of sheep or goat skin. I had combined it with fresh hot bread prepared by a local woman and I am sure that I will never forget that specific flavor. Locals offered me Manouri cheese too. It is white and very soft, almost creamy as it is made of full fat fresh milk and usually fresh cream is added in the mixture. It is made of the whey of other cheeses and I was told that the best quality Manouri is made of hard cheese whey. The mixture is then put in molds made of cloth from which it gets its shape. I like it combined with salty or spicy crackers and a grass of red wine.

This must be consumed while being fresh alternatively, if it gets dry, one can use it grated for pasta. It is considered to be a high quality cheese and it has been listed as a PDO since 1996. One of the most special cheeses of this area is Galotiri. It is a white cheese made of sheep or goat cheese. After having been stored in its container, extra fresh milk is added in the vessel whicn in turn is also transformed to cheese when coming in touch with the existing cheese. It is creamy and sour with a fresh flavor. I tasted Galotiri in Pilio where it was served with sausages in red spicy sauce and tsipouro. I can't wait coming back for one more round!! Sterea Ellada (Central Greece) cheeses One of the most popular winter resorts of Greece is located in this part of Greece and it is named Arachova. People there make a traditional cheese type called Formaela. I was served a piece of it at a local restaurant. They had fried the cheese because, according to the specialist locals it smells even better and its flavor is even tastier.

Its mass gets fibrous and it can be stretched pretty much when being hot and almost melted thanks to the frying. As a gruyere lover, I looked for a local gruyere and I was then offered a piece of gruyere produced in Agrapha village, Evritania county. It has a light yellow color and many small holes in its mass. It contains 40% fat, 38% humidity and almost 2.5% salt. It is made of sheep milk and this makes it a high quality gruyere. It has a fine smell and I can feel the butter flavor when chewing it. It can be combined with fruits, bread or any meal. It is often used as an ingredient in meat or vegetables baking, as it shabes a tasty crust after melting. Try it with raisin or melon! Some kimlometeres away, in Domokos area, locals produce another cheese time called Katiki which is creamy, sour and elegant in flavor. It is ideally served with salads in vinegar dressing. In general, we could say that this part of Greece which is full of mountainous areas, is rich in various kinds of cheese making.

I have tasted several hard and soft cheeses like Kefalotiri (hard, salty, spicy, nice smell), Telemes, Feta, Mizithra, Creamy Cheese and other. Epirus cheeses Located on the west part of Greece, it is an area highly developed in the field of cheese making. Some of the biggest cheese production factories of Greece have settled there. Apart from the common types like Feta, Kefalotiri, Mizithra and Manouri they also make their own Galotiri which is very thick and creamy like yoghurt, a bit salty and sour. Named after a village in Epirus, DODONI, one of these factories, produces a gruyere of cow milk which is ideal for fondues. My visit to Metsovo town, Epirus, which is another really popular winter resort in Greece, was full of new tastes of cheese which impressed me. The most famous among them is Metsovone, named after its home town. It has a cylindrical shape and wax-coating. It is roped in order to be hanging from the ceiling of a smoking room where it is smoked.

It is a yellow, semi-hard cheese produced using the "pasta filiata" technique. It takes 5 months to ripen it before smoking the cheese. The pasta filiata method was taught to young cheese makers from Metsovo town during their cheese making training in North Italy. Metsovone can be served baked or as it is. It has a smoky, rich and spicy flavor and I have used it for pizza topping several times. Apart from Metsovo, there is a second high quality cheese made in Metsovo town, Maisio. It is made of goat cheese and it contains black pepper. It is medium hard and it has a unique taste that seldom could anybody experience. I definitely recommend people who visit Metsovo buy some of that cheese as well as Metsovone, despite their being pretty expensive. Leaving Metsovo, I also took with me some gruyere and a piece of an amazing locally made parmesan that left me speechless when tasting them. Ionian Islands cheeses The habitants of Kefallonia island are considered to be excellent cheese makers who are often asked to visit other greek cities in order to offer their know how to cheese making.

Despite the fact that they are not allowed to make Feta cheese in Kefallonia, they produce their own Feta-like which has a great taste and quality. I was advised to ask for the kefallonian Kefalotiri cheese by a friend who had visited that island before me and of course I did so. Well, it is a spicy cheese that I was served with honey and a glass of wine. It sound like a gourmet cuisine but it is a traditional product, amazingly delicious, very common to locals' daily meals. Some miles northerly, in Corfu island, the traditional Pecorino cheese is produced which has a black mould and is a great type too. In Zante, I tasted Ladotiri which has a square shape and reminded me of a over-ripened Feta, conserved in olive oil. Nowadays, it is not very easy to find this specific cheese type. Peloponese cheeses In the counties of Messinia and Lakonia, people produce Feta cheese, locally called Sfela or Fire Feta. It is a very old cheese type, white and conserved in wooden barrels with salty water.

It is made of sheep or goat milk and its peculiarity is its being reheated after coagulation which gives the cheese a unique taste, salty, spicy, sour and with a rich flavor. I think that it is great just with some fresh bread but according to the locals it can also be combined with fruits or used for cheese pies. I also found a Mizithra cheese which was dry and is used for pasta (like parmesan but with a milder flavor that I think is perfectly harmonized with pasta). Formaela cheese is produced in Peloponese as well but it is enriched with pepper and herbs. Aegean Islands cheeses Aegean Sea has a lot of island complexes and each of them consists of many islands in which one may taste various cheese types produced locally. Tinos island, for example, has a long tradition in cheese making. I tasted Petroto, a cheese that is pressed between stones in order to ripen. It is made of cow milk and has a yellow color and a great taste. It was the first time I heard of Kopanisti cheese there which is a PDO for Cyclades. It is a creamy cheese, without a specific shaping with a white color with a very slight pink.

It is made of sheep/ goat/ cow milk or a mixture of all the three which must have been unpasteurized. It is exposed in the sun so as to shape a pink crust around it and then it is twice mashed again in order to have the crust mixed with the rest of the cheese mass. It is then placed in clay pots where it pressed very well in order not to exist any air in it. It must be stored in a cool area and often people burry it in order to keep it in a low temperature. It is a blue-like cheese with a very spicy flavor. Taking into consideration the fact that Cyclades are sun washed and consist of rare vegetation, lacking mountain with cool caves, its habitants had to find out alternative methods to conserve their cheese. So, they use the sun to dry it, they mix it very well and finally they put the cheese in the earth. What is more, the sea affects its vegetation which is salty resulting in the production of a salty, spicy cheese type. Bear in mind that us ripening grows old the cheese flavor gets different even within a week as it becomes even spicier and less acid. It is perfectly combined with tsipouro or ouzo, by the sea...

The most interesting part of my cheese research was the gruyeres. Most of the areas have their own gruyere which is different than the rest. As far as Aegean islands are concerned, I think that I have found my favorite gruyere in Naxos island. It is hard with golden color and dotted with innumerous small or bigger holes. It has a compact mass and an external hard crust. It is made of pasteurized cow milk and it consists of 38% humidity, 40% fat and around 3% salt. Once the coagulation has taken place the curd is cut in small pieces and is left for a "rest", for a few minutes. Afterwards it is mixed softly and heated. It is then shaped in big round pieces and pressed. Continuously the cheese is put in salty water for four days and then put in wooden shelves in order to ripen, for 2 months. It has a slightly spicy but elegant flavor. I love the butter smelling of it. It is considered to be one of the best greek cheeses and it has been listed as a PDO cheese since 1996. Tinos island habitants produce their local gruyere too.

Included in the PDO as a greek gruyere (together with gruyeres from Agrapha and Naxos), it is made of cow milk having an excellent taste and smell. Locals are really experienced in cheese making as it has been proved by the long history of their traditional cheeses. Their gruyere has a wax-coating, golden color and some holes in its mass. It is spicy but not very salty, with a butter flavor. It can be combined with several food types but I prefer it as it is with some bread and of course a glass of wine. Lets go to the north Aegean Sea, in Limnos island. We can find a different cheese type there known as Kalathaki (basket), named after the shape it takes after having been put in a small basket in order to strain, before its ripening procedure. Made of sheep or sheep and goat milk, it has a white mass, without any exterior crust, and it consists of liquid fat drops. The milk is coagulated in a low temperature and then its mass is divided in small pieces.

After straining it is placed in the small baskets in order to get rid of any water and then it is salted and put in small vessels with salt, for some days. After that it is washed and placed in vessels which include salty water. It is strained and placed in chambers with low temperature. This cheese has 54% humidity, 25% fat and 2.9% salt. Its flavor is similar to Feta but less acid. You can accompany it with fruits or any kind of food. A neighboring to Limnos island, Lesvos is famous for its Ladotiri cheese. This one is hard and has a shape of a small head. It is yellow with small holes and it is produced exclusively in Lesvos island. It is made of sheep milk or a mixture of sheep an dgoat milk and the cheese is conserved in vessel that include olive oil. Due to the fact that it needs big quantities of olive oil in order to be conserved which would cost very much, it is possible to make wax-coatings for that cheese so as to trade it in other places. However, when being in olive oil it obtains a spicy flavor and the oil is harmonized with the rest ingredients of the cheese.

It has been listed as a PDO cheese since 1996 and it is similas to the Ladotiri produced in Zante island. We will now travel to the south part of Aegean Sea, in particular Crete. Cretans produce a unique mizithra type cheese, named XInomizithra. It is smooth and creamy, white and unshaped. It is made of whey from goat or sheep or from a mixture of these two. It has 50% humidity, 23% fat and 2% salt. It is put in bags where it is pressesd very well, staying there for one week until it gets acid. After that it is placed in vessels or barrels and then in cooling chambers for two months in order to ripen. Xinomizithra is very popular in Crete. My favorite snack is some small cheese-pies filled with xinomizithra which gets sweeter when baked. They are perfectly combined with cretan tsikoudia or ouzo. Xinomizitha is one of the oldest cheeses in Crete island and it has been being exported in Europe since 18th century.

Chania county, Crete, are famous fro the Piktogalo cheese. It is creamy and smooth ideal for being spread on a slice of bread. A spoon is needed to eat this cheesewhich consists of 65% humidity, 50% fat and 1% salt. Thanks to its easy preparation procedure, it has been being consumed every day by the habitants of the mountainous areas of Chania county for many centuries. It is slightly salty and sour with a milky flavor or similar to yoghurt. It has been listed as a PDO cheese since 1996. Let's move to the east, in Kos island. We will taste Possias cheese here which has a very tasty peculiarity as it ripens in wine remains. Made of sheep or goat milk or o mixture of them, it is shaped in long cylinders and after salting it is placed in barrels which contain salty water and wine remains. This method of conservation can keep it fresh for a long time but it should be taken out and dried before serving. It is colored after the wine outside while being totally white inside. It has an elegant smell thanks to the wine and it is soury and salty.

It has 46% humidity, 28,7 fat and 2,2% salt. Locals serve it with fresh fruits and salads. I will finally talk to you about of the greatest greek cheeses, San Michali which is produced exclusively in Syros island. San Michali cheese is produced only by cow milk from animals that are born and bred exclusively in Syros island. Cow milk cheese are mainly produced in Cyclades and locals have a long tradition in that, deriving from the period of the Venetian domination in these islands, when the first cows were brought to these area by Venetian monks. It is a hard, golden color cheese with a compact mass and many small holes in it. Its flavor can remind you of the Italian parmesan. It consists of 37 % humidity, 35% fat and 2-3% salt. The milk used for its preparation must be pasteurized and the curd is pressed in 4 different phases. It takes four months to ripen. It has a spicy, buttery flavor and an elegant smell. It can be fried, baked or combined with fruits. It has been listed as a PDO cheese since 1966.

Most of the cheeses mentioned above have been listed as PDOs and Greece should take pride of its cheese makers. Undoubtedly the natural environment and the landscape of this country have greatly affected the production of each cheese type but in any case their mastery has contributed in the development of this field. I have already made a brief presentation of the most popular cheeses of Greece however it is sure that only some of them have been listed here as it was impossible for me to discover them all. 7 Most Popular Cheeses In The World 7 Most Popular Cheeses In The World · Updated July 6, 2011 “You gleefully add me to your pizzas and pastas. You mix me in desserts and also in your main course. You sometimes also use me as a salad dressing or in popcorn. I am creamy, tasty and tempting. I melt in your mouth and make you swoon in delight. Who am I? Come on guess guess. Yes you got that right. Cheese! Can you live without me? I doubt. I am one of the best preparations of milk.” Having read that, let us check out the various kinds of cheese that are popular in different countries. Gouda Cheese 1.

Gouda Cheese Gouda cheese is the yellow-orange colored cheese that is prepared from whole or part-skimmed cow's milk. It also has a red or yellow paraffin wax-like coating around it. Gouda cheese has got a very unique nut-like taste. High on fat, the texture of this cheese can vary from semi-soft to firm. The shape is in the form of a bell with a flat top and bottom. Gouda cheese has got its name from the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. This is from where this cheese originated. Today, Gouda cheese is prepared and sold all round the world. Cottage Cheese 2. Cottage Cheese Also known as paneer in India, cottage cheese is most of the times prepared at home. The preparation makes use of cow's skimmed milk, curd and cream. The history of cottage cheese can be traced back into the U.S. But currently it is prepared in almost every country. Cottage cheese can be eaten by itself, mixed with fruits or eaten with bread. It is an inseparable ingredient for homemade lasagna, jello salad and a variety of desserts. Swiss Cheese 3.

Swiss Cheese Just as the name suggests, Swiss cheese is originated from Switzerland. Swiss cheese is the most attractive and delicious looking cheese I have ever seen. With holes all over them, Swiss cheeses are very distinctive in their appearance. The holes are known as the eyes of the cheese. So Swiss cheese without holes is called 'blind'. It has a sweet nut-like flavor. Apparently the larger the holes are, the better is the taste. Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss are the two types of popular Swiss cheeses found in the U.S. Feta Cheese 4. Feta Cheese Feta cheese, also known as salty cheese, is one of the oldest cheese ever. It is traditionally made in the country of Greece. It is prepared using sheep, buffalo and cow's milk together or separately. The milk is immersed in salt and cured in a brine solution for a couple of months. Once it is taken out from the brine, it dries out completely. As far as the appearance is concerned, feta cheese appears grainy and is cut into blocks. It is used mostly is salads, pastries and other dessert recipes. Blue Cheese 5. Blue Cheese Another name for Blue cheese is Bleu cheese.

It can be prepared from cow, sheep or goat milk. So where do the blue streaks come from? They are caused due to the mold. Sometimes the cheese is injected with the mold. At other times, the mold is present in the curd that is used to prepare the cheese, in order to ensure even distribution. The flavor of blue cheese is very strong and has got a tangy taste to it. Mozzarella Cheese 6. Mozzarella Cheese Mozzarella cheese, also called Italian cheese, has been basically invented in Italy. It is white in color and has a semi-soft to hard texture. It can be prepared using whole or partly skimmed water buffalo milk or cow's milk. It is prepared by first spinning and later slicing it into pieces. Mozzarella cheese is generally used for pizza toppings and also for pasta and lasagna. Generally this type of cheese is available in shredded, sliced or round shapes. Cheddar Cheese 7. Cheddar Cheese Of all the different varieties of cheese, cheddar is the most popular and the most widely copied cheese ever. It has got its name from the English village of Cheddar in Somerset.

When you talk about the appearance, Cheddar cheese is can be yellow to off-white in color. It has also got a firm texture. It's characterised by a sharp and deep taste. There are several types of Cheddar cheeses available depending on the preparation and the added flavors. Some of them are Cheshire, Vintage and Double Gloucester. TED Case Study I. Identification 1. The Issue: Feta cheese is the heart and soul of Greek cuisine. For centuries now Greeks have relied on cheese as their main source of proteins, and since sheep and goats were the main source of milk, feta was the cheese that covered such a need. It should come as no surprise then that Greeks are the number one cheese consumers in the European Union, and that their favorite cheese is feta. Unfortunately market forces have conspired against the cheese by producing bland imitations, this paper will seek to clarify the problem and reestablish the true origin of feta cheese. 2. Description: Brief History & Process of Cheese: Man discovered cheese accidentally while transporting milk in canteens made from young calf's or sheep's stomachs.

Milk curdling enzymes which are present in the stomachs of an un-weaned animal, acted as the separating enzymes for the milk and created a form of cheese. The accidental discovery of cheese is a landmark in the cheese's history. This paper focuses on FETA a purely Greek cheese, so the history of cheese within Greece will be explored. Aristotles and Dioskouridis, renown philosophers, talked about mixing milk from the leaves of a fig tree with goats milk and obtaining cheese. Others talked about making cheese by mixing fresh milk with lemon or vinegar, cheese is still made this way in the island of Crete. Greece is not the only country with peculiar cheese manufacturing techniques, in Spain and Portugal dried caper leaves were used as rennet in the manufacturing of their high quality cheese. A simple explanation on how cheese is made would be that the solids are separated from the liquids in milk by the addition of enzymes, which are most commonly known as rennet or rennin. The addition of enzymes produces whey, a thin layered whitish liquid, and curds, solid clumps. The curds are then concentrated and produce the soft white substance which we know as cheese.

The texture, aroma and taste of each cheese is unique, varying with each step of the process. Throughout the process of producing cheese the qualities of its main component milk, are conserved. Thus cheese is very rich source of proteins, fats, vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as aminoacids, all of which are essential for a balanced and nutritional diet. Cheese & the Greeks: Greek eating customs could be said that revolve around cheese. This is very different from the rest of Europe. This difference is also present when contrasted to the other south European countries, which share a similar climate and a great variety products with Greece. For the Greeks, cheese is not a food supplement, it is food. In Europe cheese is generally consumed after the main dish. In France for example cheese is eaten as dessert, one would never see a Frenchman eat his filet mignon with cheese. The French can not imagine eating cheese at any other moment during the day, not even spreading a soft cheese over their world famous croissants. On the other hand in Italy cheese is served as an appetizer, for example mozzarella al pesto or fresh parmesan cheese with rucula and olive oil.

Cheese is not part of the Italians main dish, and if one is thinking about pizza, it should be clarified that the original pizzas from Naples and Sicily did not include cheese as an ingredient. Cheese, anchovies, jam, and all the other ingredients that are known to adorn pizza's were not added until much later when the standard of living increased and these ingredients became affordable. Contrary to its European counterparts of France and Italy, Greeks consume cheese at all times. Cheese can be had for breakfast, lunch, dinner, alone or with other food. Anybody who has lived or been to Greece knows that the one food that can be eaten any time of the day is "tyropita"- cheese pie. Even though eating habits around the world have changed, especially since the advent of fast food restaurants, Greeks most common and favorite food is cheese. For breakfast Greeks generally prefer hard or semi-hard cheeses accompanied by a fresh loaf of bread. If they are ever hungry during the day, whether they are at the office, in the fields picking olives or at home, they will stop for a "tyropita" or a "culuri" (the Greek bagel) with cheese to quell their hunger.

The first food that is brought to the table during lunch is a fresh slice of feta with olive oil and oregano. In the evening fresh fruit and a little bit of cheese is still the number one choice of a light dinner in Greece. The Greek's fascination with cheese can be explained through its economic history. Greece was never a rich country, currently it has the lowest GNP per capita of the EU, so their every day diet was frugal. Meat was scarce and expensive, this limited the intake of animal protein to weekends and holidays. Greeks had to find a way to substitute those proteins with something nutritious and not as expensive. Cheese was the answer to the problem, partly due to Greece's limited urbanization. The vast majority of Greeks used to be farmers or have small plots of land-"perivoli". The milk that they got from their limited livestock was conserved by producing cheese with it. Cheese was thus always available to the Greeks who never failed to put it on the table when they sat down to eat. This habit has allowed Greeks to become the highest consumers of cheese within the European Union with an average consumption of 23 kg per person per year.

The French with an annual per capita cheese consumption of 22 kg's, are just one kilo behind the Greeks. Of all the cheese consumed by the Greeks 60% of it is soft cheese, and 40% of all cheese consumed is feta. That is to say that for every 10 kg's of cheese that are eaten, 4 kg's are feta cheese. Greece's economic prosperity has not limited its cheese consumption in the least. Today the combined intake of meat and cheese proteins has turned into a hazard for the average Greek. This combined intake of proteins has led to a significant rise in the level of cholesterol and fat within the Greek population, but as the Greeks say "it is easier to loose your sole than your habit". FETA Cheese & The GREEKS : Feta cheese is as old as Greece itself. Homer in one of his memorable works, the Odyssey, describes how the giant sheppard Polythimos, made his cheese. The process described by Homer thousands of years ago, closely resembles the process by which feta cheese is still elaborated in Greece.

Despite the fact that thousands of years seperate modern Greece from the Ancient Greece in which Homer lived, the process of making feta remains very similar. Up until 1898 feta was produced and consumed locally in Greece. That same year the first commercialization of feta is registered in the island of Syros, Greece. Until then feta could not be traded commercially due to the lack of a preservative. When brime was introduced as a preservative, the Greek flavour of feta cheese was able to propagate across the world. The history of Greek cheese does not end with feta. Even though Greece has a mountainous landscape that is ideal for sheep and goats to prosper in, cows have also been a part of Greek cheese history. The availability of sheep and goats allowed for the creation of cheeses based on their milk more easily, but it is a renowned fact that Greece has always had cows as well. Through Greek mythology we learn that cows were used as sacrifice for the Gods, but more specifically we know about cows through myths about Hercules. Hercules was in charge of cleaning the stables of King Angean, who had a herd of 3,000 oxen whose stable had not been cleaned for more than thirty years.

In the myth cows were used for their meat and the oxen were used in the fields for ploughing and for carrying heavy loads. Despite the fact that cows were available for milking in Greece hundreds of years ago, only in the early 20th century did Greece start producing fresh cow's milk. There is one exception though, and that is the islands of the Cyclades. In these islands, cow milk had been used for producing cheese before mainland Greece ever started producing it and using it for the production of cheese. The puzzling question is how did the cows get there? The Venetianï¿½s and the Italianï¿½s repeatedly conquered the islands of the Cyclades, therefore becoming protectorates and ducats of these European states for hundreds of years. The conquerors generally brought with them Catholic priests and monks in their effort to convert the predominantly Orthodox population. Catholic monks are renowned for their strong working habits. So not only did they bring their customs and their utensils, they also brought with them their animals which included cows. This is how the islands of Tinos, Naxos and Syros were able to produce their renowned cheeses from cow's milk.

FETA CHEESE- The Process: Feta is a soft white cheese full of uneven small holes, it does not have an outer layer as some cheese's do. Feta in Greek means slice, the name comes from the cutting of the curd into pieces after elaboration. It used to be called 'barrel' cheese or 'tsadila' cheese. The names came to be because 'tsadila' is the cloth that is used in the process of draining the curd, and 'barrel' because it is usually conserved in barrels or tins full of brime. Feta cheese is stored in rectangular pieces of 1 to 2 kilos, preserved in brime in barrels or tins of 25 to 50 kilos. In the super markets it is sold in indivudual prepackaged pieces, or can be bought from the deli directly from the barrel. Tasty mature feta has the following chemical breakdown: humidity 52%, fat 25-26%, proteins 17%, and salt 1.8-2.75%.

Feta cheese matures after a period of 2 months in the brime, and should be conserved in the fridge at 2ï¿½-5ï¿½ celsius. Feta cheese is traditionally made from unpasteurized milk, but can also be produced with pasteurized milk. During curdling no heat is used and the temperature must remain between 24ï¿½-36ï¿½ degrees celcius during the process. The milk used has to be natural or processed sheep's milk, and in some cases even sheep yogurt may be used. After the curdling in complete, the whey is removed and the curd is cut into large pieces and placed in molds to drain., once fully drained it is salted and left to repose in low temperatures. It is then placed in barrels or tins which are filled with brime and is left to mature for no less than 60 days. The production of feta is still a traditional a traditional skill as the salt content, temperature at which the enzymes are added, acidity, way of straining are determined by each cheese maker to give a distinct character to his own particular product.

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) & its Specifications for Cheese: The European Union (EU) with its open borders and common currency has united 15 very different countries politically and economically. Socially however the EU will never be able to blend its current or eventual members in one big 'melting pot' like the United States is. Each country, in spite of this union, maintains its individuality with its customs, religion, local tradition and products. Out of all these the one that needed protection from such an all encompassing union were each country's unique products. For this purpose in 1992 the EU past the regulation 1208, which explicitly clarified under which conditions a product may be determined as a PDO for either its name or its geographic origin. This regulation was established in order to defend the position of a product within its particular market. The importance of having a product labeled as PDO is that it serves as a guarantee of quality and tradition. In the feta case it would guarantee that the consumer is getting feta cheese made from sheep's and goats milk not partially skimmed cow's milk.

Currently only 15% of the consumers within the EU know what PDO stands for.(Mamalakis, 35) The designation of PDO for a product is not limited only to cheese. Sweets, sausages, a kind of meat produced in a certain area, the water from a particular spring, a fruit, olives, olive oil, and many other products may be PDO. Champagne, Cognac, Roquefort are only some examples of products that enjoy a PDO. The conditions needed for a cheese to become a Protected Designation of Origin are: A) The cheese must be produced and matured in a specific geographical region. The animals that whose milk is used in making the cheese have to adhere to the predetermined species and they must live, graze and be milked in the same area. B) The use of chemical substances for the maturing and coloring of the cheese is prohibited. The milk must not contain any antibiotics. C) It must be produced in the traditional manner.(Mamalakis, 35) The specifications are quite clear as to what constitutes a cheese under the label of PDO. Greece has submitted several products to be considered as PDO, amongst them feta cheese.

Feta cheese due to its popularity and prominence within the cheese category has encountered several barriers which impede its categorization as a PDO. Greece has managed to protect 20 other cheeses, out of a total of 126 cheeses which are protected as PDO by EU regulation. If a product is classified as PDO it means that no one in the same country but different area, or abroad may produce the product and give it the protected designation of origin name. When a product is labeled as a PDO both the consumer and the producer are protected and the traditional production and taste of the product is promoted. Judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ): To obtain the necessary data needed for a possible registration of the name "feta" as a protected designation of origin-"PDO"-or its inclusion in the list of generic names, as demanded by a majority of other Member States, the European Commission arranged for a Eurobarometer survey to be carried out, questioning 12,800 nationals of the twelve member States then making up the European Community. It was concluded from the survey, that the name "feta" had not become the common name of the product, and that it continued to evoke a Greek origin.

The name "feta" was thus registered as a PDO to cover Feta produced in Greece. Denmark, Germany and France contested the decision, on the basis that feta cheese has been produced and legally marketed under the name "feta" since 1963 in Denmark, 1981 in the Netherlands and 1985 in Germany, for example. Greece also contests the process, since sheep and/or goats milk should be used, and certain countries use cow's milk in the process. The ECJ concluded that the Commission had played down the situation existant in the Member States other than the state of origin. The Commission whilst conducting the survey back in 1996 did not take into account all the factors at play. In order to decide whether a name has become generic or not, the situation existing in the Member State in which the name originates and in areas of consumption, together with the relevant national or Community legislation, must all be taken into account. Particularly the Commission should have taken into account the existence of similar products legally on the market.

The procedure the Commission followed to determine whether the name "feta" had become generic or not was found void, hence the ECJ anulled the regulation which registered "feta" as a protected designation of origin for "feta" cheese produced in Greece. The World Trade Organization & The Feta Cheese Legal Struggle : The World Trade Organization has a similar take on intellectual property as the ECJ with regard to naming a product after its geographic origin. The WTO under the Treaty on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement states that "the use of a place to describe a product in this way -a "geographical indication"- usually identifies both its geographical origin and its characteristics". It also states that exceptions are allowed if the name is a trademark or if it has become the generic name of the product. The ECJ reversed its decision based on the fact that 'feta' had become the generic name of that particular type of cheese. Both the WTO and the European Union (EU), who abides by the rules and rulings of the ECJ, have the same position on the issue. Greece could in theory pursue this case within the realm of the WTO once its legal possibilities within the EU are exhausted.

This would allow for the case to gain more international exposure and both sides would have to resubmit their positions leaving room for an interpretation which would favor Greece once again. Whether one views this case from the WTO or the EU perspective on intellectual property with regards to geographical origin of products or foodstuffs it makes no major difference. The TRIPS clause defines geographical origin as a good originating in the territory of a member, or a region or lacality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. This definition is very similar to that put forth by the European Court of Justice. The WTO's enforcement of intellectual property rights seeks to protect the creator of a particular good by allowing him to be the only one that can produce that particular type of good. In doing so it also protects the consumer by guaranteeing the process and ingredients of the product he/she is buying. The EU with its appointment of products as PDO seeks to achieve the same goal within its economic community. Many products enjoy such protection, and in many cases it serves as an indication of quality.

If 'feta' cheese were categorized as a PDO the consumer would also be protected from similar products which offer in certain cases a very different taste to the traditional Greek taste of 'feta'. Such is the case with cheese labeled as 'feta' in the US which is made from cow's milk. This can only resemble the original product and in no way follows the conditions put forth by the Greek government's parameters for the labeling of a cheese as 'feta'. This allows for a tremendous discrepancy of quality and content of the same product. When one buys 'blue cheese' he expects to get a taste similar to that of 'Roquefort' cheese produced in France, but is aware that he is not getting the true traditional product but rather an imitation. With 'feta' cheese it is the same just that when the consumer buys the product he is not aware that he is purchasing a different version of the traditional 'feta' cheese. The traditional production and taste of the product is not promoted so both the producer and consumer loose, it is a no win situation. 3. Related Cases: A point should be made with regard to the categorization of this particular case.

It could be categorized in the 'water, food and drink' category or in the 'intellectual property' category. Because of its lack of clarity finding related cases was complicated. In total I found four cases which are directly related to mine, these are: basmati, cassis, chocolat, and pisco. Of these four relevant cases only two are in western Europe, cassis and chocolat, and neither of them are categorized under intellectual property. Three of the cases are categorized under the environmental problem of 'general habitat loss' (chocolat, basmati, and pisco), the remaining case, cassis, is categorized under 'indigenous rights'. The only two cases categorized under 'intellectual property' as the scope are basmati and pisco. TABLES: #1)Western Europe cases in the TED Database: health 1 1 My case qualifies under a legal perspective which is not environmental but rather an 'intellectual property' casewithin the food realm. The fact that it involves a legal battle automatically includes the EU and its relevant institutions, in this case, the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

There are two relevant cases in this particular table of the TED database, these are: cassis and chocolat. Both cases involve the ECJ in a legal battle to determine how much chocolate chocolate has to have(chocolat), whilst the other one regards minimum alcohol levels in alcoholic drinks (cassis). Not only is it relevant that these cases involve food products and their components, it is important to notice that the countries involved are the same ones which are battling Greece over the 'FETA' cheese name and components. In the Cassis case both France and Germany battle over the level of alcohol in the cassis alcoholic drink. The battle is a matter of national minimum standards in Germany and how they clash against French minimum alcohol standards. These two countries are now battling Greece about 'FETA' cheese, which is as Greek as the Acropolis is. The legal framework of the EU allows countries with such discrepancies to sort it out in the ECJ. This case clearly falls within the context of existing cases because of its legal struggle within the context of the European Union. Two cases are directly relevant, and the others are clear examples of how EU regulations have come to cover every aspect of Europe, whether one agrees with it or not.

#2) Intellectual Property cases in the TED Database: defor 1 1 This table offers a different perspective to my project. The TED case studies basmati and pisco, are within the context of my project because of the issue at hand. Unlike the other two cases mentioned above, these cases have to do with the name of the product. The previous two cases were relevant because of their context, the European Union and in particular the European Court of Justice, and how countries are able to battle out clashes of internal laws at an international level. In the basmati case study the United States and India battle over the name of a particular form of rice, while in the pisco case study Chile and Peru battle over the name of an alcoholic beverage. In this case Greece battles Denmark, Germany, adn France over the name of a particular kind of cheese. These cases are directly related to each other even though they range from four distinct and far from each other continents. Feta is as Greek as pisco liquor is Peruvian and basmati rice is Indian. These three products elaboration dates back thousands of years so they have become national symbols.

Just like in Greece, where a meal is not complete until feta cheese is at the table, in Peru a meal is not complete unless there is pisco sour on the table. Basmati rice is a slender, aromatic long grain rice with a nutty taste delicate texture that grows best in the valleys of Punjab in the Himalayan mountains (Adewumi). Only Peru has the soil, the climate, and the tradition in making pisco that gives [this] drink a special taste, and which allows [it] to be called pisco (Oakes). The above descriptions emphasize the importance of a products geographical origin, Greece is battling to achieve such recognition for its 'feta' cheese. The name of a product is fundamental to its economic success, if this were not so these cases and several other similar cases would not be occurring. What should be pointed out is that in both the basmati case and the feta case, there is more at stake than just a name. Both India and Greece are economic midgets compared to the countries they are battling. The economy of these two countries will feel the slap if the product can originate from a different source other than the original countries.

If this were not true why did France fight till the end to protect the name 'champagne' and 'cognac'? France is a country which its economy does not rely on these exports, India has at stake 10 percent of the total basmati exports. It is also a matter of protecting the products image, no matter how well other countries try to imitate the product, the conditions can never be fully replicated. The issue of these two case studies is identical to mine, which offers the reader a perspective with regards to the many legal battles like these that occur in all corners of the world. Hyper-links to Related Cases b. Geographic Site: Western Europe c. Geographic Impact: Greece; 'Feta' is no longer considered a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) 10. Sub-National Factors: No 11. Type of Habitat: Temperate Greece has mild, wet winters and hot dry summers. Its terrain is mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands.

Sheep & Goats-The essence of feta: When the Greek government set the paramaters which have to be met in order to be able to label a cheese as feta, it clearly stated that it had to be produced from sheep's milk. A combination of sheep and goats milk may also be used in the process as long as the goat's milk does not constitute more than 30% of the milk used. This clear cut specification allows the consumer to destinguish feta from other cheese and get a specialized product, but since feta is not a PDO one can buy feta produced with partially skimmed cow's milk. Using cow's milk may produce something similar to feta cheese but it is clearly not feta cheese and has a different taste altogether. The sheep or goat's milk used in the production of feta must be obtained from animals that live and graze in the following predetermined areas: Macedonia, Thrace, Thessalia, Epiros, Sterea Hellas, Peloponese, and the island of Lesvos.

All these areas are in Greece, so any other milk used, even if sheep or goats milk, that does not come from these areas does not qualify under the terms set forth by the Greek government so it can not be called feta. Greece has over 2,500 native plants and shrubs which are consumed by its sheep and goats. The different plants and shrubs consumed by the animals while grazing in the predetermined areas, allows for the milk they produce to acquire a variety of flavour and aromas and are embodied in the Greek feta cheese only. Sheep & Goat Milk Production FAO Yearbook Sheep Milk 1996 MT ï¿½000 Goat Milk 1996 MT ï¿½000 Sheep Milk 1997 MTï¿½000 Goat Milk 1997 MT ï¿½000 Greece 667460 650460 France 237430 220430 Germany N/A25 N/A25 Feta in essence is sheep milk cheese. The name comes from the Italian word 'feta' which stands for 'slice'.

The cheese was named that way because that was the way it was cut after elaboration and sold in the market. The graph above highlights the fact that Greece is one of the largest producers of sheepï¿½s milk, essential to the elaboration of feta. The United States, Germany and Denmark do not produce sheepï¿½s milk. This technically speaking would not allow them to produce feta cheese, since it is supposed to be made from sheepï¿½s milk. France is the only country that produces sheepï¿½s milk and if compared to the quantity produced in Greece the production levels are quite low. Greece in 1997 produced 650,000 metric tons of sheepï¿½s milk, while France only produced 220,000 metric tons. Greece even produces more goatsï¿½ milk than France, a country that is renowned for its goat cheese. In 1997 Greece produced 460,000 metric tons of goats milk, while France produced 430,000.

The difference is not large, but it further highlights Greece's competitive advantage in producing feta, which is made from sheepï¿½s or sheep and goat's milk. Animals and animal production in Greece constitutes about 30 percent of the total value of the country's agricultural output. Sheep and goats are the largest components of Greeceï¿½s animal population amounting to an estimated total of about 14 million heads. The meat and milk of sheep and goats provides 6.2 and 6.6 percent, respectively, of the agricultural total. The countryï¿½s very limited export of animalsï¿½ products is limited mainly to cheese, whose export value in 1997 was of US$ 80 million. IV. Trade Cluster 12. Type of Measure: Intellectual Property Rights Protected Designation of Origin (PDO): Geographical indication or name of a product either agricultural or foodstuffs which are protected by European Union law #1208. 13. Direct v. Indirect Impacts: Direct 14. Relation of Trade Measure to Environmental Impact a. Directly Related to Product: Yes, Feta cheese b. Indirectly Related to Product: No c.

Not Related to Product: No d. Related to Process: Yes, according to the Greek government 'feta' cheese is a salted white cheese traditionally produced in Greece from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. 15. Trade Product Identification: Feta cheese 16.

Economic Data: FAO Yearbook Value US$ 1996 ï¿½000 Volume MT 1996 ï¿½000 Value US$ 1997 ï¿½000 Volume MT 1997 ï¿½000 Germany 2315800458261 2110809476361 France 724159151238 633586153718 United States 623772N/A 584210N/A Greece 23134250747 24152568059 Denmark 10243031067 9737533879 This table more than anything else highlights the Greek's people fascination with cheese. Greece is currently the 10th largest importer of cheese in the world, this says allot for a population of only 10 million.

As stated earlier the Greek diet revolves around cheese, thus making it the largest consumer of cheese per capita in the European Union with 23 kilos per year. France, with a population of approximately 60 million, is a close second with 22 kilos of cheese per capita a year. 17. Impact of Trade Restriction: High 18. Industry Sector: Food 20. Environmental Problem Type: Culture 21. Name, Type, and Diversity of Species: Goats & Sheep 22. Resource Impact and Effect: High and Regulatory 23. Urgency and Lifetime: Low and Hundreds of Years 24. Substitutes: The lack of substitutes is the main problem in this case. The Greek government argues that the 'feta' produced outside Greece is an imitation which is produced wrongly. Feta cheese according to the Greek government has to be produced from sheep's or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk, originating from animals that live and graze in predetermined areas, all of which are in Greece. Countries which are currently producing feta are utilizing cow's milk in its production, this creates a cheese similar to feta, but it is definitely not 'feta'.

Since the cheese technically does not resemble feta, it should not be labeled as such. Consumers have become accustomed to the name 'feta' so coming up with an alternate name will be a marketing blow for the other countries. If the protected designation of origin rules and regulations are to be applied fairly throughout all products, 'feta' should be one of the products under that category.

Question: What is the most popular cheese to be produced and consumed in Greece?
Answer: Feta